So is it possible that on top of all that, Snyder and screenwriter David S. Goyer will be adding Doomsday (the creature that brought about “The Death of Superman”) as well? While most casual comic fans would take the stance that a story and villain as that would demand an entire film to itself, rumors surfaced months ago that Doomsday would, in fact, be playing a significant role.

Of course, that was all before fans realized that Batman V Superman would not be just a simple sequel to Superman’s reboot, but the launching pad for an entire shared movie universe of DC Comics’ heroes. But the latest rumors once again surround the alien bruiser, as BleedingCool reports that their sources have seen Doomsday “designs” related to the upcoming film.

Don’t expect any more insights though, since that is the beginning and end of the rumor. So as those suspecting that Snyder intends to kill Superman take this as further evidence, we would warn that the mere inclusion of Doomsday (or simply designs exploring a film version which could be completely unrelated) doesn’t mean his most iconic story will be adapted as well.

For starters, it’s hard to believe that either Snyder or Warner Bros. would want to kill off Superman just as their Justice League universe is getting off the ground. And with the world in on the secret that Doomsday doesn’t really kill off the big blue Boy Scout, such an ‘iconic’ scene wouldn’t carry anywhere near the weight on film that it did in the comics (a fact that Snyder and Goyer would most certainly be aware of).

That being said, Doomsday’s presence in the DC universe hasn’t been limited to a single arc. Whether rebuilt, re-imagined, or simply recreated to bring up nasty memories for Clark Kent, the Doomsday design has been surprisingly versatile. Including an army of said creatures concocted by Darkseid, who has also been rumored to appear as a villain in BvS:DoJ.

It’s also worth pointing out that the most reasonable expectation for Batman V Superman (as we’ve said from the start) is that Batman will seek to challenge Superman on moral grounds, with Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) handling the physical threat. Since a literal Batman/Superman fight would be a short one, it’s been expected that Lex would release some threat – be it Metallo, a mechanized monster, or some other villainous powerhouse – that would force Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman into combat (and into uniform) together.

Could that monster be Doomsday, or some variation? Since Superman’s ‘death’ brought about scorn from some comic fans (forever cheapening a superhero’s ultimate sacrifice), and was already used for suspense in Superman Returns (2006), it would always have been a risky move for Snyder to attempt the same trick. But unleash Lex Luthor’s ‘Doomsday Weapon’ bearing a similarity to the comic book villain, and fans would be nothing but pleased.

That’s obviously just our speculation, but with the already sizable cast, it has always seemed that the physical threat in Batman V Superman would simply play its role of uniting DC’s ‘Big Three.’ That sells Doomsday short, but if the character was never going to appear at all… it’s simply a nod to fans.

We’ll keep you updated as more information arrives, but what do you think of Doomsday’s chances? Could a big screen death of Superman really work one more time?